Friday, September 9, 2011

The BEST CAPTION EVER IS...

(New Video Added to bottom of page!)
                                       ...They're here!!

Yes, folks, it's true!    


In-Sync Exotics is excited to announce the arrival of two male cheetahs Sam and Kodi! The seven-year old brothers are from the Fossil Rim Wildlife Center in Glen Rose, Texas.

Happily, this is not the usual rescue that In-Sync Exotics is accustomed to being involved with!  We are honored to have Sam and Kodi, two very happy and healthy exotic wild cats, live with us as they give In-Sync Exotics an opportunity to partner with a wonderful organization dedica-ted to saving these magnificent animals from extinction and allow In-Sync Exotics to expand its conservation education program.

Fossil Rim has a large breeding program for cheetahs, producing over 120 cubs in the last 25 years. The two males are not a part of the breeding program due to a congenital medical problem that causes an uneven gait. This malady is not considered advantageous to the cheetah as a species; therefore they will not produce offspring.  

In order to make additional space for breeding cheetahs at Fossil Rim, In-Sync Exotics agreed to house Sam and Kodi, adding an educational program highlighting the conservation needs of cheetahs in the wild. With a life-span of 13-15 years in captivity we plan on Sam and Kodi living a long and happy life at In-Sync Exotics, contributing to the welfare of their species through education and the experience of meeting them.   

You are invited to visit Sam and Kodi at In-Sync Exotics as they settle into their new home.   For information about our visiting hours, please click here

To learn more about the plight of wild cheetahs, please visit the Cheetah Conservation Fund!

We will be adding more photographs and videos to the Cat Tales blog, so stay tuned for the latest news on these beautiful exotic wild cats!

Two handsome lads! This photograph was taken prior to their arrival at
In-Sync Exotics!

Later this afternoon!

Sam Is Checking Out His New Temporary Quarters!

Sam and Kodi Taking A Break From Exploring Their New Home!

Handsome Kodi!


Day 3:  The cheetahs are feeling more comfortable in their new home!

Thursday, September 8, 2011

Make Your Donation Stretch Even Farther!


On September 15, 2011, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. In-Sync Exotics is taking part in Get Up and Give! North Texas Giving Day. On September 15, every donation $25 and above will be matched if you donate to us through www.donorbridgetx.org, North Texas’ online resource that connects donors with nonprofit organizations like us.  We even made it easier for you to donate--simply click on the Donor Bridge button found on the upper left-hand side of this blog and it will take you directly to our Donor Bridge donation page!

Please visit the site anytime between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. and click “Donate Now.” Your donation will go a long way in helping us care for all our new arrivals!  Plus, gifts given that day will receive a portion of $500,000+ in matching funds–making your dollar go further!

To avoid the busiest times on the site, visit and donate during off-hours, 10-11 a.m. and 2-4 p.m.

Just remember to get up and give--whether out of bed, from your desk, or off your couch, just give a special gift to the In-Sync Exotics' animals!

Great Ways to Help the Animals That Won't Cost You a Cent!


We often receive questions from the public about our mission and what impact do contributions really have on our programs

Essentially, our mission is to make a difference in the lives of our exotic wild animals.  Our goal is to rescue mistreated and/or displaced cats, providing them with a lifetime of excellent care.  But our mission is an expensive labor of love, with the high cost of food, medical care, enrichment items, and the usual operational expenses such as supplies, utilities, gas, etc.

That is why we come to you, with our In-Sync Exotics’ cap in hand—we simply cannot fulfill our mission without your help!  You help us ensure our cats receive the very best diets, medical care, and enriching environments by making a tax-deductible gift. 

We recognize that not everyone can make a monetary gift at this time, so we wanted you to know there are other ways to contribute to our mission!  Let’s take a look as some other ways in which you can contribute to In-Sync Exotics!


Apply for the in-Sync Exotics Capital One Visa® Card
and show your pride with every purchase you make!

This Visa Platinum credit card makes it easier than ever to support our cause! Add in a low introductory rate, no annual fee, no foreign transaction fees and your choice of card designs and you've got a great way to give back.

Our organization gets a donation-and you get to spread the word about our cause-with every swipe!  You can even select your card design from a choice of three In-Sync Exotic cat pictures!

For more information about this great offer, please click here!

Shop and Support the Cats

By doing your internet shopping through www.igive.com or www.goodshop.com, you can help support our cats.

Just choose In-Sync Exotics Wildlife & Education Center Exotics as your charitable organization, shop at the hundreds of participating on-line stores, such as Travelocity, Barnes & Noble, JC Penney, Apple, iTunes and even eBay, and In-Sync will receive a percentage of your sales!

For more information about this great deal, please click here!


Need some information fast? Don't Google it; Goodsearch it. Choose In-Sync Exotics as your charity of choice and start searching the world-wide web. For every search done through Goodsearch, In-Sync will receive a penny, and in this information age, those pennies can add up fast.

Ready to Goodsearch it?  If yes, please click here!

Kroger Share Card "Neighbor to Neighbor"

For those of you that do your grocery shopping at Kroger you could be helping the cats at In-Sync Exotics at the same time. Just print a copy of this letter and present it to the cashier along with your reward card the next time you shop. The cashier will program In-Sync's barcode with your reward card. Every time you shop a percentage of your sales will go to the cats.

So remember, when you shop at Kroger, you are not only feeding your family, but you are also feeding the In-Sync Exotics family!

Tom Thumb's Good Neighbor Program

Tom Thumb shoppers can link In-Sync Exotics to your Reward card by completing a Reward Application Form at any Courtesy Booth. Fill in the top portion of the "Good Neighbor Program" section with In-Sync's account number (10706). Every time you shop, a percentage of your total sales is donated to In-Sync Exotics.

So start shopping today at Tom Thumb and show your support for our wild ones!
 
Charity Motors

Charity Motors is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to helping the underprivileged with transportation. When you donate your vehicle to Charity Motors, not only are you helping a needy person with a car, but you can also choose In-Sync Exotics as the charitable organization to receive the proceeds from the sale of your donated vehicle. Plus, your donation is tax deductible. The donation process is fast and easy. Call 888-908-2277 or 972-CHARITY www.charitymotors.org!

Coins 4 Cats

Collecting coins to benefit cats is so easy. Families can collect their spare change and ask friends and family to do the same; Organizations can set up a collection jar at their meeting place, and businesses can set out a collection jar where it's easily accessible to their customers.  Or how about a penny drive at your local school?   We'll be happy to provide free labels for your collection jars and information on In-Sync to get you started. When you're ready, cash in your coins and mail us a check, or bring the coins by on your next visit. As always, every dollar (um, cent) goes directly back to the cats and your donation is tax-deductible. To receive your free labels, contact Vicky Keahey. Remember, all those coins can add up for a good cause!


We thank you very much for supporting our animals at InSync Exotics—for you see, without you, we are incomplete!

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Bobcat's Death Teaches Local Community a Lesson in Compassion

For months, Texas has been in the grips of a heat wave and drought.  With surface water and food scarcity, wild animals are forced to hunt in populated areas.  Inevitably conflicts arise when people come face to face with their wild neighbors.

In August of this year, one such conflict took place in Murphy, Texas, between homeowners and a bobcat.

A Murphy family was startled to see a bobcat regularly crossing their property around sunset. Concerned that the bobcat might attack their small dog, Pugsly, Mrs. Smith called Murphy Animal Control to report the sightings.  The Animal Control Officer (ACO) to their house and assured Mrs. Smith that if they could leave a trap for the bobcat, and if and when it was captured, the animal would be safely taken to East Texas and released back to the wild.  For several weeks, Mrs. Smith regularly checked the trap as she was concerned that if the cat was trapped and left unattended, he could perish in the heat without food or water. 

One day Mrs. Smith discovered the elusive bobcat in the trap.  Since the regular animal control officer was on vacation, a stand-in animal control officer responded to call.  When the animal control officer arrived, she told Mrs. Smith that if the cat could not be sedated and euthanized, she would be forced to shoot the animal.

Mrs. Smith said she was “never, ever been told that euthanasia was an option.”  Mrs. Smith said she would never have agreed to trap the cat if she had known there was a chance the cat would be destroyed.  She had been told by the regular animal control officer that the bobcat would be transferred to a nice place in East Texas.

A Murphy police officer arrived on the scene as the stand-in animal control officer attempted to sedate the cat.  To the onlooker’s horror, the police officer enraged the bobcat by kicking the cage and yelling at the animal.  When the scared bobcat became aggressive, the police officer shot the bobcat in the head, killing him with one bullet.

Mrs. Smith watched as the two officers carried the trap through her yard with a trail of blood coming from the cage.  Mrs. Smith believed that if the regular animal control officer had been on duty that day, the bobcat would still be alive today.

In hindsight, Mrs. Smith wished she had called us, In-Sync Exotics, to come and pick-up the bobcat.  Sadly, the Smiths’ now live with feelings of guilt, anger, and sadness that the cat was killed on their property. 

When we learned of the tragic event that took place at the Smiths’, we reached out to the Murphy Police Department and offered to give them a tour of our facility so as to educate the force that there are better ways of handling these types of wildlife encounters.

Update!
Ricki Hart, our senior In-Sync Exotics volunteer contacted the Murphy Police Department and offered the Chief and his staff a tour of our wild animal sanctuary.  On September 1, 2011, Chief Cox, Lt Barber, Animal Control Officer Drake, and Officer McCarty accepted our tour offer, coming to our facility to learn more about wild bobcats and how they can be safely captured and transported to a wildlife facility, such as ours, so the animals can be safely released back to the wild.

The officers really seemed to enjoy the tour, asking a lot of relevant questions about the cats.  We were thrilled at how responsive the officers were to our suggestions and ideas.
 
Otis
Ricki gave the group an enrichment demonstration with one of our bobcats, Otis, using his favorite smells, fresh coffee grounds!  Otis made a real spectacle of himself by drooling and rolling around in the grounds—changing the officers’ notions that all bobcats are aggressive and out of control—essentially teaching the officers that bobcats are living, breathing animals that have a cute and gentle side to their personality.

The officers also learned about our various training programs such as non-sedation transportation of animals, cat companionship, and enrichment.

Thanks to Ricki Hart, the Murphy Police officers learned conflicts (or chance meetings) between humans and wild animals do not have to end in death. 
 
Chief Cox was adamant that the police department’s policy will not include shooting a caged animal unless there is imminent risk to people or other animals.  The Chief also agreed to contact us to assist them with the relocation of captured wild animals.

We are pleased to report that the Murphy community is holding a special meeting on how to co-exist with the wild neighbors this week.  Please join us as we, along with other wildlife experts, as we educate the community on how to live in harmony with wildlife this Thursday, (September 8, 2011) at 7:00pm, located at the Murphy City Hall Chambers.

As sad as this event was, it opened a dialogue within the community, as neighbors demanded changes to policies regarding the capture of wild animals plus they wanted to know how to safely and successfully co-exist with wildlife.
 
In-Sync Exotics is grateful to be a part of this community’s desire to learn more about living with their wild and beautiful neighbors.  We pray that this knowledge will spread to other communities facing similar wildlife encounters!

To learn more about this incident, please visit the Murphy Messenger.com!